BLUEFIELD, W. Va. -If you’ve driven through downtown Bluefield, West Virginia, you’ve likely seen the empty 400 block area, left that way after multiple major demolitions last year. However, even before the 400 block demolition began, City leaders were making plans on what may eventually fill that space.
“This has been a long time coming for us. We’ve worked on it for the eight years that I’ve been in office, and having those buildings down and being able to transition into this rebuild project is an awesome time,” says mayor of the City of Bluefield, Ron Martin.
Some of the proposed additions: a stage, terraced seating, and possibly the closing of Scott Street to expand the area, with plans also in place to honor the site’s past as well. However, the executive director of the Bluefield Economic Development Authority (BEDA), Jim Spencer, says nothing has been set in stone just yet.
Spencer says their goal during this process is bringing more people and businesses downtown, something he says will be a benefit to those already there.
“I think it creates ‘location envy,’ where people want to be here, they want to do business here and things like that, so… we worked very hard to create a climate here that businesses can succeed, and we’ve seen growth in all areas, with entrepreneurship, attracting new industry, and trying to help existing businesses as well. This will help existing businesses in the area,” says Spencer.
BEDA worked with civil engineering company, The Thrasher Group, to come up with a conceptual design for what could be coming here: a mixed-use green space that could potentially hold concerts, festivals, and even the park’s annual “Mistletoe Market.”
The company has had experience making similar spaces, including the “Slack Plaza” in Charleston and have seen it be successful before.
“We’ve seen this in other communities we’ve worked in in West Virginia where you’ve made a significant public investment into a space just like this, that kind of transforms the mentality associated with downtown. Why do people want to be here? What types of events do they have that they can participate in. So, this will act as a catalyst for lots of private investment and private dollars that will come into the economy to revitalize downtown,” says Samuel Rich, land development market leader for the Thrasher Group.
On Monday night, the plans were unveiled for residents and business leaders, who asked questions and gave suggestions on what they’d like to see implemented. One business leader attending was co-owner of Downtown Merchants, J.P. Marinus. He hopes to use the space for the “First Friday” event and says he expects the space will bring traffic to his downtown business.
“…A lot of the knock on downtown Bluefield, it might be a little dreary, you know? Not as much to do, so to have, like, an adult leisure setting, more of a park that can be used every day and not just for events, it’s wonderful. I think it’s fantastic, and it can really boost the value and increase the potential of all the surrounding properties,” says Marinus.
Mayor Martin praised the large number of people who came to see the plans and says it shows a rising interest in the city.
If you missed this meeting but would still like to give feedback, Spencer says you can send him your thoughts in an email: [email protected]
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